How Posture Affects Heartburn

Heartburn is the main symptom of acid reflux. It occurs when acid from the stomach enters the oesophagus (the food pipe), causing irritation and inflammation. Most people only ever think about food as a trigger. Posture is often overlooked.

However, sitting, slouching, or lying down all increase the risk of painful heartburn. After all, gravity helps keep acid in the stomach. It’s one of the secret triggers behind gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Can slouching cause heartburn? What bad postures are linked to heartburn? And what can you do to correct your posture? Find out below.

Can Poor Posture Really Cause Heartburn?

In short, yes.

Posture is one of the biggest triggers for heartburn. Think about it: acid, as a liquid, is kept in the stomach partly by gravity. When you lie down or slouch, it’s easier for the acid to move backwards into the oesophagus. That’s why people often notice reflux symptoms at night when lying down.

But it’s also about pressure. Slouching or slumping compresses the abdomen. As the pressure rises, it forces stomach acid upwards and into the oesophagus. This can be especially noticeable if you’ve just eaten a big meal.

How Digestion Is Designed to Work Upright

Digestion is an upright process.

Everything about it was designed to occur in a vertical position. While the muscles in your stomach and gut push the food along, gravity does a lot of the work. The lower oesophageal sphincter (the junction between the stomach and oesophagus) normally prevents food and acid from backflowing.

However, when the pressure is too great, from slumping, slouching, or lying flat, gravity fails to keep it closed. In fact, the pressure forces it to snap open, leading to reflux and heartburn.

Common Posture Habits That Trigger Heartburn

1. Slouching at a Desk

In the modern day, we spend hours slouching at a desk. This involves rounded shoulders and a compressed abdomen, creating pressure in the abdomen. Combined with long screen time after meals, this posture can trigger midday reflux and burning in the upper chest.

2. Hunching Over a Phone

When we’re not at our desks, we’re hunched over our phones. This posture causes neck and chest tension. “Text neck” also places pressure on the stomach, exacerbating our existing symptoms.

3. Lying Flat After Eating

Lying flat after eating is one of the biggest culprits behind heartburn. Too often, we eat a large meal just before bed or while lying on the sofa, which can lead to acid reflux. The reason is simple: without the help of gravity, stomach acid can flow back into the oesophagus more easily and can even reach the throat.

4. Tight Sitting Positions

A tight seated position involves crossing the legs, leaning forward, and maybe even with crossed arms, all of which compress the abdomen. If you’re on a long drive or seated commute, this can increase the risk of commute-related reflux.

Posture Tips to Reduce Heartburn

1. Sit Upright After Meals

Always stay upright after meals for around 30-60 minutes. Don’t just collapse on the sofa. If you can, go for a short walk. Even 15 minutes of walking can massively help digestion and speed up gastric emptying.

2. Adjust Your Desk Setup

Too many of us look down at our screens. Ideally, the screen should be at eye level with our hips slightly higher than the knees in a back-supported chair. If your chair is uncomfortable, you’re more likely to slip out of this position.

3. Be Mindful of Phone Use

We’re all a little addicted to our phones. We tend to spend hours staring down at the screen. The better option is to bring the phone to your eyes, not your head down to the phone. Also, give yourself micro-breaks every 20-30 minutes.

4. Walk After Eating

As mentioned, gentle movement after eating is fantastic for digestion. It’s what we’re built for. Gravity plus motility kickstarts your gut, reducing the risk of reflux and heartburn.

5. Improved Sleeping Position

Posture and heartburn are most often connected during sleep. Get a wedge pillow or raise the head of the bed slightly to avoid lying flat. If you can, sleep on your left side too.

When Posture Changes Aren’t Enough

Posture isn’t everything. Even with the right posture changes and lifestyle adjustments, acid reflux can continue. That’s often a sign that something deeper is driving your reflux and is something that needs investigating.

The Function Gut Clinic provides advanced reflux testing and specialist assessment to help uncover the true cause of ongoing symptoms. We can use 24-hour acid testing to confirm reflux or oesophageal manometry to check your oesophagus is functioning correctly. We’ll get to the bottom of your symptoms.

Learn more about heartburn symptoms and how to get diagnosed with The Functional Gut Clinic.

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